Illuminated display device.



H. at. G. Dumas. LUNHNATED DISPLAY DE-ViCE.

APPUCATION HLED MN. M). 1ML

Patente June 26, 1917.

mx V/ 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. &. G. DUMARS.

lLLUMINATED DlSPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. i0. {9H- I.

Patented June 26,l 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 i 1 .and fiinprovements herein'.v shownandxclef A nonnen humans, oF imw surro @GERALD numnnsfnssrenfon, 'ro sanjinomcn humans.:

ffy-:Be it" known that we, HORACE DUlii'Axasf *and GERALD' DUMARs, citizens 'of the United States,- and lresidents of New Suffolk, in thel v5,v 'county *of Suffolk' and State ofy New York,

and New York,v in the county vof NeW'vYork i `rand State of vNew,v York,' respectively, have.'

invented certain new anduseful Iml'noved ments in" fIlluminatedfDisplay Devices, "of 1'0 lwhich the-following is a specification.,

amusement vmatter and in' certain aspectsthe inventionA relates to' such devices designed to display'continuously changing legends, designs', or' othenrepresentations. l

- Objectsv and :advantages -of the 'invention willbe' set forthr in part hereinafter, and in partfwill bey ob'viousfherefrom v or may be as# eertained through practice' with. the invention, the same being'eectu'ated rand attained "l V throughthe means andcombnations pointed i 4foutv in the appended claims`I l l i j v.The vinvention'consists indie'novel partis, constructions, arrangements,` gcomblnatlons plain the principles thereof.

Of 'thedrawingsif d Figure l isiafcentral-,longitudinal section' Bfsubstantially.onthe'line LA-B of Fig. 2;

i Figv ais a, fragmeiiglenfiniargedsciie,

of dierentsouree'sof light to" produce the y? design by'both refiect'ed and projected "lightggv .A jecte'd throughl'the legend or design being d The inventionrelates tolan apparatus forl displaying;illuminated advertising and'- u companying-drawingsreferred taf -4 herein andjeonstituting a; part hereof, illustrate oneembodiment ofthe invention;` and; .togetherwith the description serve to ex-' ambchanismandfiessnWhie oth@einer@teamwork'esemlvng'dis ture results. '-In' device's'-ofgthejkind' 'indii cate addition lstronglya'yalcites fthe; curiosity and 15% zreeeewune 12e wm primariosindienne-leien 'ss11m-141-f i meente-diemene-f'ih8-mpsfthrgh 'the i Wonder of.thejobserver,'is ofactuailpractical Y value to the advertiser. [It is alsozuseful. and

desirable to produce-suchlefects in amanner long distance .fdisplay, suehas' fromtheupaf:

pearancei -to` the"robserver fis largely lduegfte the dlstanc'e', 'but' also neari` such "as inside .'rooms',f fsho tisingz' v and other situations.

f gin. thepress-ine1uded inthe-presen@ invention' adesign is direplayed "-aityan.exhibir tion' icons, the deslgnbeing. convpyed .thereto ofthe 'design and iected' therefrom-- tof the display 'or f exhibit on; locus und. boinciden'tly I.the pre-- play. locus, the light, `reflected -fromfthe face of the.' design"smd the lightpro'ected'through thegdesign constituting a sln'g e and unitary e eect jat the exhibition-L locus;

f Referring more particularly tov 'illus- `preferably a flexible traveling endless band 1 is provided having'. a design, shown in the form of a legend, the surrounding surfacey 2 of the band and the "surface 3 of the legend having opposite properties with respect to the reflection of light, that is, the surface of the bandsurrounding the legend or design may be in black or some other light absorbing and non-reliecting color while the legend itself may bel in white or some other light-reflecting and relatively non-absorbing color.

To permit the simultaneous outlining or dening of the design both in the light reflected from the face thereof and by the light projected or transmitted through the band, the design bearing band is `perforated in a form'or order corresponding to the design,

the light from the rear being transmitted 'a through such perforations.v In Fig. 3 the' perforations are indicated by 5. and follow the contours of the letters of the. legend.

The relative proportion of the surface of the design which shall be perforated, thereby determining the relative proportion of the surface of the legend of the design which shall be utilized for reiecting lightl and which shall be utilized for transmitting or passing light, may be varied within limits dependent upon the effect to be produced and whether the display locus is close at hand or is to beviewed at a longi distance.

- In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the endlesslegend'bearing band 1 is shown looped about a'plurality of guiding pulleys 6, the pulleys being-disposed and positioned to maintain and travel a maximum length of the band withinI a limited space. The band is traveled in a suitable manner, as by a i motor 7 having a pulley 8 upon its shaft,

guided by a pulley 10y and passes about a said pulley driving a belt 9. Belt 9 is driving pulley 11, fixed to the lower end of one of the rollers 6, which thus serves to propel the endless band 1. The motor and its driving pulley may be in a lower compartment 13 of the casing 12, such a'compartment being Shown at vthebottom in Fig.' 1.

Mounted inv or upon the casing' 12 is a housing 14, carrying -asuitable lens 15. vNithin the housing 1,4 is a light or group of lights 16 provided with lsuitable refiecting" means 17. The endless band 1 is arranged to pass over 'certain of the guiding pulleys 6 so as to travel the band past the illumination locus 18. The light from the lamp orv lamps 16 strikes the legend bearing face of the belt 1 at the illumination locus, the light being reflected therefrom through the lens '15 and showing the legend at the exhibition locus 19 as illustrated in Fig. 4, the legend or other design being viewed at the exhibition locus either by reflected or transmitted light. The surface 19 may be a screen of ground glass or other suitable material whereby the design may' be viewed from the opposite or far side if desired.

Means are also provided for transmitting or projecting the light throughthe legend or other design, and in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, a mirror 2O is carried upon supporting arms 21 and `may be provided with angle adjusting means, such as screws 22 and 23. The light from the lamp 16 falls upon the mirror 20 and is transmitted or projected through the perforations 5 formed in the legend or design, and is projected into a unitary design with the reflected light at the locus 19, the reflected and transmitted design being correlated, intermingled and superimposed to produce .an effect not 'obtainable by either alone.

The effect produced is very unusual, attractive, and mystifying. The entire exhibition is full -of life and motion. The design travels across the screen and is pictured and illuminated by the light reflected from its face. The light projected through the Vholes in the design appears as'living, moving balls of light or fire of greater brilliancy than the design'. l lConsidering a portion of i gn as it comes on the screen' the design moves along the balls of fire or v bright light approach the letters, or 'parts of the design to which they belong, and when the letters, or the like reach the central part of the screen, the balls of fire are alined or positioned within and along the letters, defining them in balls or spots of brilliant light. As the letters, or other design parts, pass along from the center toward the other 'or egress side of the screen, the balls of fire j again assume relative motion with respect to the corresponding letters or other design parts, and jump out of alinedorder in the letters, float away into spaceand finally disappear. As the letters, or other design parts, and the now .displaced balls of fire, A

approach closely to the point of egress from 4the screen, they all seem to dissolve into a trail of smoke or hot gases.

.1t will be understood that while the varivous changes in appearance have been de- A scribed as successive steps, in reality they are alloccurring simultaneously for' different parts of the design. T hat vis, the balls of fire at the entrance point are continually lively manner and approachin to and springing into being, 'moving about in a finally alining with the corresp ondlng part of 13'0 the design, the balls of fire at the center are continually traveling in alinement with, and

` at rest with respect to, their part of the detacular and mystifying display of the perl forated portion adds greatly to the interest and effectiveness of the device.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings are shown modifications or different arrangements of parts of the invention, it being un- .derstood that the same are illustrativeI and not restrictive in character. A 'In Fig. 5 of the drawings, the housing 14 is mounted on the casing l2, and has the lens 15. The lamp 16 is utilized in this case to provide only the light which is reflected from the face of the legend or design .bearing band 1. The transmitted or projected light is provided .by a lamp or group of lamps 20, having a suitable reflector 21, the light being transmitted or projected through the design to produce the effects already described. It will be understood that lenses or other apparatus, either standard or special, may be interposed to modify or control the transmitted light between the `lamps 20 and the band 1 where`thisis desired.v In this instance, the endless band 1 at the illumination locus runs through a protecting casing 25 whereby the transmitted li ht passes only through the band andl inter erence between thetwo .sources of light is 'prevented. l

In Fig. 6 j of the drawings a generally similar arrangement is' shown for the re flected light.l In this instance the transmitted light is provided from a second source, but is transmitted through the legend or design by reflection. For this purpose, a light or group of lights 26 is mounted'on the housing above, or to one side, and is provided with a reflector or reflectors 27. A

`light from the'lamp 26 is reflected upon a mirror 28, from which it' is transmitted through the'v design and to the exhibition' locus in the manner already described.

From all the foregoing it will be understood that a rocess and apparatus has been provided rea izing the objects and advantages herein set forth, or which may be ob'- vious from the invention, and it will. be further understood that changes may be' made from the precise .structure shownl and described without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief'advantages.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is .1. An illuminated display device including in combination a member bearing a periorate design presented at an illumination locus, a screen at a display locus, and lighting means throwing light upon the face of vthe design'to be reflected therefrom and projected to the screen and projecting light through the perforations in the design to be .projected to the screen.

2. An illuminated display device including in combination a member bearing a perI forate design traveling past an illummation'locus, ascreen at a display locus, and

lighting means .throwing light upon the face of the vdesign to be reflected therefrom and projected to the screen and projecting light through the perforationsin the design to be projected to the screen.

3. 'An illuminated display device including in combination an endless traveling band having a design on the face thereof, the

ldesign being defined by perforations in the band, means for traveling the belt and presenting it at the illumination locus, and

lighting means throwing light upon the face of the design to be reflected therefrom and projected to the screen and projecting light through the perforations in the design to be projected to the screen.

4. An illuminated display device including in combination an endless traveling band having a design on the face thereof, the design -being defined by perforations .in the band, means for traveling the belt and presenting it at the illumination locus. a light in front and at one side of the band at the `illumination locus, a vreflecting surface behind the band at the illumination locus to project light through the'perforations 'in from both the reflected and projected light.

5. An illuminated display device including in combination a band having a 4perforate design traveling past the illumination locus, a lamp atthe front and to one side of' .theband at the illumination locus, amirror behind the band at the illumination locus and --receiving light from the lamp and projecting it through the perforations in the `the band, and a screen receiving the imagesv` design, 'and ascreen receiving the images "from both the reflected and projected light.

6. 'A design bearing device for use in illuminating display devices, comprising a illuminating display devices, comprising a .flexible 'band having thereelong e design,

the design and surrounding surface of' the band being one light reflecting and the other light absorbing, the band being perforated Y at a plurality ofoints by a; series of lighttransmitting per orations, the perforations being related to dene the design.v

names t0,this specification, -in of two subscribing Witnesses.

GERALD primes, .'Witnesses: l i' 'Y l lJOHN-D. MORGAN, M. JOHNSON.

Invtestirnony whereof, We have signed ur `10i rthe presence' "HORACE DUMARS.k l l 

